BEAUTY Go With The ’Fro As textured hair is finally being seen and celebrated we talk to the experts in the know to show you how to ace your afro

Whenever I chat to a celebrity of colour, the talk will inevitably Thandie is not the only person who is celebrating her natural turn to their hair. From Jourdan Dunn admitting to me that her texture. Hairstylist to the stars Vernon François, the man who hair had been ruined by stylists who did not know how to handle or actresses Lupita Nyong’o and Naomie Harris have on speed dial look after her natural texture, to Thandie Newton telling me how when they want their fast-growing hair to look great, explains: liberating it was to finally free her ’fro and Lupita Nyong’o explaining “Textured hair, and I don’t just mean black or afro hair but all types why she decided to clipper her hair all off. of curls and kinks and coils, is seen as a problem, but it needn’t be. It The beauty industry has been slow to create foundation and should be celebrated and, with the right products, it can be beautiful concealers to match the myriad skin shades in the world, but even and should be gorgeous. Hairstylists still today are not trained in how slower to create luxurious, affordable and effective haircare for to look after afro and textured hair – it is simply not part of their textured and afro hair. However, things are finally changing. As a training. So little wonder that women with textured hair are at a loss generation of women start to speak up about their struggles with their as to where to go, who to see and what to do with their hair.” hair and young stylists create new products, then it’s little wonder that To address this problem, Vernon has created a range for all types finally women are allowed to celebrate their of textured hair (clearly labelled with hair emojis natural hair texture – from kinks to curls to ’fros ‘I had no reference points for that show you what texture it is created for) after to frizz. “Textured hair is a joyous world of hair like mine. Then one day, years of cherry-picking the odd one or two opportunities,” says actress Thandie Newton. products from every range that worked on his “And it starts with confidence and pride because, without thinking, I took a clients like Lupita. “I first worked with Lupita baby, big hair gets a big reaction. So get ready for brush to it and, magically, around the time of promoting 12 Years a Slave centre-stage attention and warm up the high- there it was – a wild mane of and she had cropped her hair off, but now she is beam smile to match,” she adds, explaining how growing it out and celebrating her texture and not long ago she finally decided to brush her hair glorious fuzz’ Thandie Newton style because she has the tools to help her make and to embrace what she calls the frizz, but which anyone can see is the most of her natural hair. That is liberating for every woman with the most glorious soft afro. textured hair; not to have to battle to make it something it isn’t but Growing up, Thandie had struggled to control her hair and to keep to celebrate what nature gave you.” it straight as advice was so hard to come by. Then along came the “Shaving my head wasn’t a conscious, calculated thing – I was just iconic John Frieda Frizz Ease and at last she had a product that worked tired of going to the hair salon,” remembers Lupita. “At the time for her hair. “It was big, it was brown and it was bushy and I had no I didn’t know I would pursue acting as a profession. I had relaxed reference points for hair like mine,” she explains. “Until about a year hair but I wanted to spend less time in front of the mirror, so I ago. Accidentally, and exhaustedly, after having our third baby I chopped it off.” found that [dealing with my hair] was one task too many. Even hair It’s the constant battle to straighten, relax and control curly washing was an alien concept. The most I could manage was scooping hair that damages it so much. “My hairstylist Renda Attia is really my barnet up into a scarf or a tie. Then one day, without thinking, I important,” says model Jourdan Dunn, who was persuaded by Renda took a brush to it and, magically, there it was – a wild mane of glorious to give her hair a break. “My hair has been so damaged with heat and fuzz. Big and fluffy like cotton flowers, soft and airy like a cloud. It was styling because most hairdressers still do not know what to do with beautiful. And everything I’d understood to be wrong.” afro hair. I mean, I had no hair around my hairline – it was like baby ☛

LUPITA NYONG’O, THANDIE NEWTON AND JOURDAN DUNN HAVE ALL SPOKEN OUT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES CURLY QUEENS OF AFRO HAIR AND HOW THEY HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE THE NATURAL LOOK

Lupita with Thandie Jourdan 00 hairstylist shows off her unveils her Vernon Francois glorious afro natural curls Thandie Newton took her curls centre stage at this year’s Vanity Fair post-Oscars party. 00 “Big hair gets a big reaction,” she says hair it was so damaged.” The solution? “I’ve been wearing wigs and having them changed every month, having lots of conditioning treatments and, finally, my hair is growing back.” “Moisture is key to textured hair as it is often very dry,” explains Vernon. “Moisture will create curls and waves and allow textured hair to be natural without frizz and fluffiness. And modern formulations can give control and staying power without crispness, so that hair can be combed and even brushed and still be shiny. Condition is key as textured hair can be very fine and prone to damage and breakage.”

For anyone who would like help wth their textured hair, Vernon, who is English but is based in LA, offers personalised advice and consultations on his site. You can email his team, who will quickly reply and help. He also runs regular seminars in London, teaching people how to work with their natural texture, including classes for hairstylists, mums who cannot cope with their Lupita is growing children’s hair and just everyday people who want to Actress Sophie her hair out after embrace and celebrate their natural texture. Visit Okonedo says her shaving it off vernonfrancois.com to register. afro is “who I am”

TEXTURE TAMERS Along with his own eponymous range, these are Vernon’s top picks for products that condition and control textured hair M A R AG T S IC. – IN S I AG O NC A IL/FILM M N FR P O U PAS I D

Y/VERN D A . S IEK E D N AG HA

ETTY IM VERNON’S FAVOURITES: UNN/T G D 1. Vernon François Scalp Nourishment Braids and Locs Spray, £20; visit N OS:

T vernonfrancois.com 2. Kérastase Discipline Cleansing Conditioner Curl DA

UR Idéal, £29; visit kerastase.co.uk 3. Tangle Teezer Thick & Curly, £11; O . PHO visit tangleteezer.com 4. Redken Curvaceous Full Swirl Serum, £17; visit TT IC. J redken.co.uk 5. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Cleansing Milk, AG £24, from lookfantastic.com 6. Vernon François Dazzling Spritz Shine Spray, BAGGO £20; visit vernonfrancois.com. This is perfect for the upcoming party season INE as it’s a dry oil with a subtle hint of shimmer. 7. Vernon François Pure-Fro FF/FILM M O

L Conditioner, £26.50; visit vernonfrancois.com 8. L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil, £11, from lookfantastic.com 9. Buly 1803 Rake Comb, £52, 00 OPA from net-a-porter.com 10. KeraCare Natural Textures Leave In Conditioner, N K O

INTERVIEW: NAD INTERVIEW: J £5.75, from lookfantastic.com. This is from Jourdan Dunn’s favourite range